After more than five years of drought, heavy rains turned dusty and parched land in Queensland state into vast swathes of mud that bogged down already weakened cattle (Handout)

Sydney (AFP) – Australia’s largest cattle company has warned of “extreme losses” after record-breaking floods, as producers said more than 300,000 cows were drowned or washed away in the vast continent’s northeast.

Heavy rains have flooded swathes of Queensland state, with the full scale of the devastation on drought-hit cattle stations becoming clearer as floodwaters recede (Handout)

Townsville (Australia) (AFP) – Hundreds of thousands of cattle weakened from a severe drought are feared to have died in record-breaking floods in northeastern Australia, authorities said Friday, as they stepped up efforts to feed surviving livestock.